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Home » Baking » Cookies

Published: Dec 20, 2019 · Modified: Dec 15, 2021 by Sandhya Ramakrishnan · This post may contain affiliate links

Mexican Wedding Cookies | Hazelnut Butter Balls

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If you are looking to make the most addictive edible gift to make for holidays, then try this Mexican Wedding Cookies recipe. Also known as Hazelnut Butterball cookies or Snowball cookies, these literally melt in your mouth.

This Mexican Wedding Cookies is one of my favorite for many reasons. One they just look absolutely super cute and perfect for the holiday season.

Mexican Wedding Cookies for Holidays

They are tiny and just the right size to pop into your mouth. This recipe yields quite a bit of cookies and that means it is perfect when making for a large crowd.

Making edible gifts for Holidays has been a tradition in our family ever since my boys were born. My blog is filled with cookie recipes as it is something I bake very often for us as well as for gifting. I enjoy baking different cookies and packing them. Buying cute little cookie tins has become almost an obsession for me.

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Hazelnut Butter Balls for Christmas

What Kind of Nuts to use

I first tried this Mexican Wedding Cookies recipe few years ago, back in NY. This recipe is from my dear friend Marybeth and she had made this recipe with pecans and called the pecan butterball cookies. I go back and forth and make these cookies with any available nuts.

This year I made it with pecans. My neighbor has a Pecan farm and we buy fresh pecans from him this time of the year. So, use any nuts of your choice but make sure that they are fresh. The cookies use quite a bit of nuts and gets its flavor from it. We don't want stale smelling or tasting cookies.

What other cookies are baking in my kitchen?

The family favorite recipe that I made this year again was the Old fashioned Ginger cookies. My holiday baking cannot be complete without these ginger cookies as my little one loves them.

I also made some Orange scented Cranberry walnut cookies. The house just smelled amazing after baking these cookies and screamed holidays.

Pecan Cookies in tin for holiday gifts.

If you are looking for some other cookie to bake with pecans, then this Pecan Shortbread Cookies is an absolute must. I also have a gluten free Chocolate cookie recipe with pecans if you are looking for a gluten free option.

These snowball cookies are so simple to make with just the basic ingredients. We need the flour, sugar, butter and some nuts along with vanilla flavoring. You can use a stand mixer like I use or a hand mixer will work just fine.

This time of the year my Kitchen aid stand mixer works the most (only second to me though). I have it out constantly making batches and batches of cookie batter. This year we baked over 600 cookies and I might still have a batch or two to bake.

Preparation time – 15 mins
Cooking time – 25 mins per batch
Difficulty level – easy

Ingredients Needed

  • Butter (Unsalted) – 1 cup (room temp)
  • All Purpose flour – 2 cups
  • Granulated Sugar - ⅔ cup (can use ½ cup if you prefer less sweeter cookies)
  • Vanilla – 2 tsp
  • Hazelnut or pecans or walnuts – 1 ½ cups (finely chopped)
  • Salt – ½ tsp
  • Powdered sugar – for coating
Mexican Wedding Cookies for Christmas Gifts

Step by step process

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line couple of baking trays with parchment and keep aside.
  • In the bowl of a mixer, add the sugar and the butter.
  • Cream them until light and fluffy (about 5 mins). Now add the salt and the vanilla and mix them well.
  • To the butter mixture, add the flour little by little and mix well until completely incorporated and forms dough.
  • Now add the chopped nuts and mix it well.
Making cookie dough for Mexican Wedding Cookies
  • Make about half inch balls and place them in the prepared cookies sheet.
  • Bake them for about 25 min or until slightly browned.
Shaped cookie dough in a baking sheet
  • As soon as they come out of the oven, roll them in powdered sugar and set aside in a cooling rack. Be extremely careful since the cookies would be really hot and very fragile. It is very important to roll them as soon as they come out of the oven to get the sugar to coat well.
Mexican wedding cookies rolled in powdered sugar
  • Once the cookies have cooled down entirely, roll them again, for the second time in the powdered sugar.
Mexican Wedding Cookies | Hazelnut Butter Balls

Expert tips

  • It is very important to use good quality, fresh nuts as the recipe uses quite a bit of them. The cookies take up a lot of flavor from the nuts and you want them to taste the best.
  • Remove the butterball cookies from the oven as soon as they are light golden brown.
  • Roll them in powdered sugar right after they come out of the oven. Using a spoon helps as the sugar melts quite a bit when handling with fingers.
  • It is essential that we roll them again in powdered sugar once the cookies cool down entirely.

Frequently asked questions

What nuts can I use to make Mexican wedding cookies?

Traditionally it is made with hazelnuts, but I have used all different nuts and also a mix of nuts to make these Butter balls. I love using pecans and walnuts.

Can I make the cookie dough ahead of time for the Mexican Wedding cookies?

Absolutely. You can make the dough and freeze it and then bake whenever you prefer. I also like to make tiny balls of the cookie dough, freeze it on a tray and then transfer it to freezer bags. This way it is much easier when it it time to bake.

What other names are the Mexican wedding cookies known as?

These are also called the Russian tea cakes or the snowball cookies as well as butterball cookies

Can I freeze the Snowball cookies after baking?

Yes, we can freeze the baked Mexican wedding cookies. But do not coat them with sugar. Coat them with powdered sugar just when it is time to serve.

More festive cookies

  • Vanillekipferl | Austrian Vanilla Crescent Cookies
  • Sekerpare – Turkish Soft Cookies in Sugar Syrup
  • Nan Khatai – Indian Shortbread Cookies
  • Naan Berenji | Eggless Persian Rice Flour Cookies

 If you made this recipe and liked it, give a star rating on the recipe card or let me know in the comments below. You could also share it with me on Instagram using #MyCookingJourney and tagging me @sandhya.ramakrishnan. You could follow me and my recipes on Facebook |Instagram | Pinterest | twitter

sugar coated cookies

Mexican Wedding Cookies | Hazelnut Butter Balls

If you are looking to make the most addictive edible gift to make for holidays, then try this Mexican Wedding Cookies recipe. Also known as Hazelnut Butterballs, these cookies literally melt in your mouth.
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Cookies
Cuisine: Mexican
Diet: Vegetarian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 60 small cookies
Calories: 72kcal
Author: Sandhya Ramakrishnan

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Butter Unsalted (room temp)
  • 2 cups All Purpose flour
  • ⅔ cup Granulated Sugar can use ½ cup if you prefer less sweeter cookies
  • 2 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 1 ½ cups Pecan finely chopped (can use hazelnut or walnut as well)
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • ½ cup Powdered sugar for coating (might need more or less)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line couple of baking trays with parchment and keep aside.
  • In the bowl of a mixer, add the sugar and the butter. 
  • Cream them until light and fluffy (about 5 mins). Now add the salt and the vanilla and mix them well.
  • To the butter mixture, add the flour little by little and mix well until completely incorporated and forms dough.
  • Now add the chopped nuts and mix it well.
  • Make about half inch balls and place them in the prepared cookies sheet.
  • Bake them for about 25 min or until slightly browned.
  • As soon as they come out of the oven, roll them in powdered sugar and set aside in a cooling rack. Be extremely careful since the cookies would be really hot and very fragile. It is very important to roll them as soon as they come out of the oven to get the sugar to coat well.
  • Once the cookies have cooled down entirely, roll them again, for the second time in the powdered sugar.

Notes

Expert tips
  • It is very important to use good quality, fresh nuts as the recipe uses quite a bit of them. The cookies take up a lot of flavor from the nuts and you want them to taste the best. 
  • Remove the cookies from the oven as soon as they are light golden brown. 
  • Roll them in powdered sugar right after they come out of the oven. Using a spoon helps as the sugar melts quite a bit when handling with fingers. 
  • It is essential that we roll them again in powdered sugar once the cookies cool down entirely. 

Nutrition

Calories: 72kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 47mg | Potassium: 16mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 96IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @Sandhya.Ramakrishnan or tag #MyCookingJourney!
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Natalie says

    December 17, 2021 at 11:20 am

    5 stars
    These cookies look fantastic. Such a pretty addition to a Holiday table. I'm going to make them for sure.

    Reply
    • Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      December 17, 2021 at 6:08 pm

      Thanks Natalie! These cookies are our favorite and I can't make enough of them.

      Reply
  2. Cara @ Street Smart Nutrition says

    December 16, 2021 at 10:10 am

    5 stars
    I love the small size on these cookies! We bake a variety of cookies during the season and these are so nice to include in a tin or box as a DIY gift. Great recipe!

    Reply
  3. sasmita says

    January 14, 2020 at 11:08 am

    These hazelnut cookies look so delicious. I will surely try the Mexican wedding cookies as these are egg free. Thanks for sharing the recipe which are perfect for christmas days

    Reply
  4. Jayashree says

    January 09, 2020 at 3:47 am

    I made these during Christmas and they are absolutely delicious and adore the beautiful look they possess.

    Reply
  5. Jagruti's Cooking Odyssey says

    January 06, 2020 at 3:07 am

    I absolutely adore these cookies, so simple and easy to make but packed with flavours. Perfect as an edible Christmas gift.

    Reply
  6. Lathiya says

    January 01, 2020 at 2:55 pm

    Never made these cookies yet. Your post made me want to try these ASAP. THe cookies looks delicious.

    Reply
  7. Danielle says

    December 31, 2019 at 4:32 am

    Ah, these are so festive looking that I am sure I could make anyone happy with this gift. They look delicious, too! 🙂

    Reply
  8. Malini says

    December 30, 2019 at 6:36 am

    The name of the cookie itself is very interesting. It looks gorgeous and no one can say no these beauties. You baked 600 cookies and still more to go. That's awesome. I love to bake cookies. This is on my list now. Great share!

    Reply
  9. Chef Mireille says

    December 23, 2019 at 9:13 pm

    I made these a few weeks ago for the first time, although I did the Pecan version and even then had to reduce the quantity due to my nut allergies. Regardless, they are just as delicious and I am sure was enjoyed by one and all!

    Reply
  10. Shailender Sharma says

    December 23, 2019 at 9:53 am

    Oh...they look to be beautiful ice balls to me and more astonishing part is their making process and ingredients used. A magnificent recipe with regular & basic ingredients is worth appreciating.

    Reply
  11. Lata Lala says

    December 23, 2019 at 1:21 am

    Lovely hazelnut cookies look super yummy Sandhya. Hazelnut being my favourite, i am tempted to make it the earliest.
    Lovely share.

    Reply
  12. Vandana says

    December 23, 2019 at 12:54 am

    These cookies look so delicious. I have never tasted Mexican wedding cooking but after reading your post, I can't wait to try them. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

    Reply
  13. Mayuri Patel says

    December 22, 2019 at 5:34 am

    Beautiful cookies Sandhya, I wanted to bake them for Christmas but getting hazelnuts proved to a task. Booking marking your recipe to try them out when I get hazelnuts, I know even almonds or pecans can be used but love hazelnuts.Wow baking 600 cookies that's a lot.

    Reply
  14. Mina Joshi says

    December 22, 2019 at 4:33 am

    These look excellent and be perfect to make and give as gift during Christmas. I was so pleased to see an egg free cookie recipe.

    Reply
  15. Shobha Keshwani says

    December 22, 2019 at 4:02 am

    They look so delicious and easy to make too. Will try out sometime soon.

    Reply

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Sandhya

I am Sandhya Ramakrishnan, author, recipe developer and photographer in this journey! 'My Cooking Journey' is all about family friendly Vegetarian and Vegan recipes from around the World with focus on Indian cuisine.

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